US Patent 7268269 - Decontamination of textiles using nanocrystals

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7268269.html

This patent from Gentex uses nanocrystals for chemical/biological disinfection of clothing. In order to prevent agglomeration of the nanocrystals ionized air is used to provide a repelling effect. Claim 1 reads:

1. A method of protecting against a chemical or biological agent with a textile-based decontaminant, comprising the steps of: providing finely-divided metal-containing nanocrystals which possess protective properties and which cling together; aerating the nanocrystals with ionized air so that the nanocrystals become charged and therefor repel each other; and bonding the charged nanocrystals directly to the textile to non-occludingly retain the nanocrystal surface structure such that an interior of the textile is adapted to decontaminate chemical or biological agents disposed within a portion of the environment that encounters the interior of the textile.

US Patent 7264726 - Metal oxide nanoparticles for water filtration

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7264726.html

One application of nanotechnology that has gathered much interest is environmental control and cleaning. This patent for instance teaches using metal oxide nanoparticles as a binding agent for carbon particles so as to create a high efficiency water filter. Claim 1 reads:

1. A filtration media for water, comprising: a plurality of metal oxide nanoparticles, wherein the metal oxide comprises aluminum oxide, and optionally further comprises titanium oxide, zinc oxide, zirconium oxide, or a mixture thereof; a plurality of activated carbon particles; and a polymeric binder matrix present in sufficient amount to adhere the activated carbon particles to each other in the form of a porous water filter block, and wherein the metal oxide nanoparticles are dispersed and encapsulated within the polymeric binder matrix.